


Shaperatown (Hadestown AU)

by Fayzfics



Category: The Ballad of Lost Hollow - Shapera, The Dolls of New Albion: A Steampunk Opera - Shapera, The New Albion Radio Hour: A Dieselpunk Opera - Shapera
Genre: Hadestown AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:07:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27402463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fayzfics/pseuds/Fayzfics
Summary: Raven is a young artist with a taste for medleys. Lloyd is a young man looking for something to eat. And while mister McAlister rules the underworld, can they keep this story from turning to a tragedy?
Relationships: Lloydven
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. Act 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I made this fic a while ago, but I thought I'd post it here, as to make it easier to find. I'm not very experienced with writing, so any and all feedback is much apprieciated! Please enjoy!

ROAD TO HELL 

The kiosk had long since been abandoned. It wasn’t like there was any food left on the shelves, anyway. All of it had been taken by the hungry people of the town. The only movement on the train station were a few newspapers littering the ground, seeming to shiver in the cold wind.   
Michael wasn’t surprised by the deserted station; this winter had been particularly harsh. Everyone would rather stay inside and huddle by the fire than sit on a freezing platform. Being a vagrant, he didn’t exactly have that luxury. Besides, someone had to be here when she arrived. He tried to light a cigarette, not an easy task with his prosthetic arm. As he was struggling, he noticed another person.   
“Oh, hi there, stranger. Fancy seein’ you here. Don’t mind me, I’m just waiting on someone.” The sign above the platform only had one train scheduled: Shaperatown. It didn’t say at what time it would arrive. Michael noticed the person looking. “Yeah, it never shows when. But it’ll come when it’s time. Prob’ly at the end.” At the end? The stranger wondered. “The end of my story, ‘course. Seems like a fine time for a train to show up. If you like, I can tell you. It’s always better to tell stories when someone’s actually listenin’.” The person sat down next to Michael, and he smiled.   
“Thanks, stranger. I have to warn you though.” His smile faded. “It’s a sad tale. One might even call it a tragedy. But even sad tales deserve to be told, don’tcha think?” He chuckled. “Hell, maybe it’ll turn out this time.” He turned toward the stranger.   
“So, what’dya say? I can’t promise I’ll even finish the tale, and it might take me a long time. But are you ready to hear an old song again?” The stranger nodded.   
“Good. Now, it all started when this new guy came into town...” 

COME HOME WITH ME 

“Hey, who is that guy?” Michael glanced over to where Raven was looking. A blonde man had just entered the diner and was sitting a few tables away from them.   
“Oh, him? I dunno, he’s new. I think his name was Louie, Leo, something like that.” Raven studied the stranger. Despite his tall frame, he still got lost in his big overcoat. His clothes were covered in mud from the road and heavily worn. His bags were right next to him, with what seemed like all his belongings. He looked like a man who didn’t intend to stay very long.   
“I’m gonna go talk to him.” Raven decided out loud. He got up, but Michael grabbed his shoulder before he went.   
“Look, Raven...Don’t come on too strong, okay?” Raven scoffed. “Please, Michael, you know I’m the master of the soft sell.” Michael didn’t look like he believed him one bit. Nonetheless, Raven strolled up to the table the man was sitting at.   


“Come home with me.” Lloyd looked up at him.   
“I’m sorry, what?”   
“I said, come home with me.” Raven flashed his brightest smile. The man blinked rapidly and frowned.   
“I- Do I know you?”   
“Not yet, but you will.” He removed the guitar that was strapped to his back. “The name’s Raven. I wrote you a song, wanna hear it? It’s mostly a medley, but there’s stuff of my own in there, as well.” The man seemed to still be reeling a bit, but most of the confusion on his face had been replaced by a sort of amusement.   
“I see. You play, then?”   
“Yeah, I’m also in this theatre troupe, and we’re thinking of expanding to a circus-” The man laughed. “Oh, a drama queen and a clown, as well!”   
Michael couldn’t bear to see this anymore and piped in from his table. “You should really listen to the medley, though. It’s pretty out there, but the guy’s got talent.” Lloyd looked over at Michael, then back at Raven standing ready and eager with his guitar. He sighed but couldn’t help smiling a bit.   
“I mean, sure. Why not.” That’s all the encouragement Raven needed, and he started singing. 

When the medley was over, Raven was a bit short of breath. He always got really ‘into’ his performance, and this time, he gave it his all. Lloyd was staring at him, brows raised.   
“Well. That was certainty the most... unorthodox seduction I’ve ever enjoyed.” Raven grinned.   
“But you enjoyed it, though?” And sure enough, Lloyd had been oddly charmed by the performance. There was a passion there, a kind of chaos and sincerity that really spoke to him. He tried to act nonchalant and shrugged.   
“I mean, I definitely didn’t hate it. I’m curious to see your theatre troupe, now.”   
“Great! You’re gonna love it. It’s a bit chaotic, mostly because we don’t have a stage manager yet, but you should totally come to rehearsal.” Lloyd considered that for a moment. He glanced at the road through the dirty windows of the diner. There were worse towns to rest in. Surely, he could stop for just a moment. If the winds changed, he could just pack his bags and go, anyway. He looked back at the strange man, who was staring right back at him excitedly. No harm in taking in the scenery, as it were.   
“Say... Raven, was it? You’re in luck, because I just so happen to know a stage manager. And he would love to go with you.” 

WAY DOWN HADESTOWN 

Michael winced as the distant, but sharp call of the train cut through his hangover. Groggily, he dragged himself into a sitting position. Around him, other partygoers slowly woke up, as well.   
“Sounds like your ride is here, Fay.” The woman, who had been sleeping it off on the couch, groaned in frustration.   
“Oh, come on! That was not six months!” Begrudgingly, she got up and straightened her dress. “Someone teach that man to read a bloody calendar,” she mumbled. Michael got up as well.   
“I’m sorry, but I guess it’s time to go.” Fay huffed and grabbed the nearest bottle. “I’ll go pack my bags.” 

Everyone had come to wave Fay goodbye. Michael, Lloyd and Raven stood a bit apart from the rest. The Floozies were there as well. But then again, they were always kind of always there. No one knew where they had come from, or how many of them there actually were. They all had to exact same cotton candy hair, and it was impossible to tell them apart. Either they could move between locations very quickly, or there were more than anyone could count. However many there were, they were always seen in groups of three. Raven got along with them pretty well.   
“I don’t get it,” Lloyd confessed. “Why does everyone say Shaperatown is such a terrible place? I understand why Fay doesn’t want to go back, but everyone here acts like that place is Hell itself.”   
“You’re not that far off, actually.” Michael said, “You’re new, so it’s not weird you don’t know.” He lowered his voice.   
“Y'see, down there, the dead are put to work. They get desperate folks, make ‘em sign this contract. An’ when ya do, they shove your soul in this mannequin thing. Unable to talk or rest, they make the perfect workers. There are thousands of dolls there, just slavin’ away for Mr. McAlister. No-one who goes to work there, ever returns.”   
Lloyd looked down the track, as though he would be able to see the city from there.   
“You’re saying they got jobs there?” Raven looked at his boyfriend in shock.   
“That was not the part to take away from this story, Lloyd!”   
“Yes, I know, I know. I was just surprised this McAlister fellow is able to provide so many jobs. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the economy isn’t doing great at the moment.”   
“Oh, not over there.” One of the Floozies piped in. “A little bird told me the economy is running smooth as ever!”   
“Yeah!” The second one added. “All the money comes from there.”   
“Quite literally,” The third one finished. “What, with all the mines and all.”   
“What’s that matter?” Raven asked incredulously. “Who cares about the economy when you’re dead?” He grimaced. “I’d eat pig crap on crackers before I consider working there. Who in their right mind would trade feeling the sunshine for some spare change?” Michael nodded. “Tell me ‘bout it.” He held out his prosthetic arm. “I’ve got one wood part, and that’s a-plenty, lemme tell ya.” His expression turned to horror. “God, can you imagine full-body phantom pains?” He shuddered. Lloyd stayed quiet.   
All conversation died down as the train arrived. For a moment, the whole station was covered in thick smoke, making everyone cough. When they could see again, the only carriage opened, and a man stepped out. It was the man they’d been talking about: Edgar McAlister. A short man dressed in a fine suit and top hat. His curly hair was graying, but you could still see a bit of the carrot color. Fay walked up to him. “You’re early.” She snapped.   
McAlister’s neutral expression didn’t change. “I missed you.”   
As the couple got into the carriage, the Floozies whispered in Lloyd’s ear.   
“Didya see his suit?” One said.   
“Wanna bet he never goes hungry?” The other added.   
“Seems like he owns everything.” They all said in unison.   
“Kind of makes you wonder how it feels.” Lloyd marveled. 

CHANT I 

Fay had almost forgotten how polluted the city was. Even inside, the smog seemed to carry more dust than oxygen. The air was heavy and hot, and the noise and light gave her a headache, after not even an hour being back. She threw her coat on the couch.   
“God, this place is getting worse every year.”   
“Oh, I apologize,” Edgar said calmly. “Let me just turn off the factory. I’ll go let everyone starve, because Fay dearest is uncomforable.” The tension between them hang in the air. Fay knew where this conversation would lead. She took another drink to prepare herself. Edgar crossed his arms and nodded to the factories outside.   
“I’m doing this to provide for you, you know.”   
Fay scoffed. “I don’t remember asking you to.” Edgar raised his eyebrow. His voice stayed icy, only frustrating Fay more.   
“I am pretty sure you agreed to this. I seem to recall vows of some sort.” And so, the argument began in earnest.   
“Oh, you mean the vows you forced me to make?”   
“I didn’t force you to do anything. It wasn’t like I dragged you down the aisle.” Fay felt the urge rise to punch something, preferably her husband’s face.   
“Besides,” He continued smugly, “I now am the most succesful man in town. You no longer have reason to leave.” Fay couldn’t believe her ears.   
“Do you still think that was the bleeding problem? I left you,” Fay spat. “because we didn’t work.”   
“I made it work!” Edgar countered. “I put in the effort to win you back over. I built all this,” He gestured around. “All to win your heart! Shouldn’t you at least be grateful I’m doing all this for you?” Fay leaned forward. She was a head taller than her husband, and she looked down with curled lip.   
“I feel nothing for you."” She whispered. “I loved you once. But now, I feel nothing but loathing, disgust and hate.” That shut him up for a moment. He swallowed.   
"Very well.” He said. “If you’ll excuse me, I have just decided the workload for the dolls should double.” As he walked away, he called back over his shoulder. “I’m sure your father will be pleased about that.” He slammed the door on his way out. Fay wasn’t surprised. This was how it went every year. She felt a pang of guilt for her father receiving the consequenes of her failing marriage. Another swing from the bottle helped ease it a bit.   


CHANT I / SONGBIRD 

“You said you could provide for me!”   
“You’re acting like it’s my fault the storm is here!”   
“No, “Lloyd spat. “But it is your fault I am!” He walked toward the door.   
“Wait. Wait, Lloyd, where are you going?”   
“Out!” He called. His hand was already on the door handle, when Raven grabbed his arm.   
“Wait, Lloyd! Don’t go!” Lloyd tried to shake him off.   
“Don’t be so dramatic. I just need to clear my head, I’m coming back.”   
“Are you?” The genuine worry in his boyfriend’s voice made him turn around, hand still on the door handle.   
“Yes, of course I will. Like I said, I just need time to think. Will you please let go of my arm?” Raven didn’t let go, his jaw stubbornly set.   
“Ravey, what’s the matter with you? You aren’t usually this paranoid.”   
“I have a bad feeling.” He confessed. “I don’t want you to leave during a fight.” Lloyd sighed.   
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but there’s nothing to worry about. I won’t hit the road. Right now, I’m just angry and I need to calm down.” He pried Raven’s hand from his arm.   
“I’ll be back. I promise.” Raven didn’t respond. Lloyd was right, this wasn’t like him. But as his boyfriend went through the door, he couldn’t help the anxious feeling in his gut. 

Lloyd sat by the side of the road and took a deep breath. The cold wind cut his lungs, but the bite refreshed his flushed face a bit. Raven and he had been having more and more fights, lately. Almost all of them were about money. Raven was so caught up in his music, he didn’t seem to notice all the firewood and food had dwindled and vanished. He thought he could do what he had been doing every winter, not realizing there now were two mouths to feed. And as pretty as his songs were, they weren’t able to shelter Lloyd from the wind. He groaned and covered his face in his hands. He should’ve left when he had the chance. He had always gone wherever the wind blew him, never growing attached. But in spite of himself, he had caught feelings for Raven, and now he’d gotten himself stuck. As he was moping, he heard a cheery voice.   
“Hey there buddy, you’re looking down. Say, you’re Lloyd Allen, aren’t you?” He looked up to see a man in a snazzy suit looking down at him. His smile was dazzling.   
“You were stage manager for that Neverland play, right? That was a fine piece of work, there. Can’t have been easy to keep everything on track.” Lloyd scoffed softly at the memory.   
“It was like herding cats.” He confessed. The man nodded.   
“I bet it was. I mean, the actors were fine and all, but everyone knows the real work happens backstage.”   
“Exactly!” Lloyd agreed. The man sat down next to him.   
“Well look here, I’ll level with ya. It’s a damn shame to see a guy with your potential merely managing plays. We think you gotta lot of potential.”   
“Who’s ‘we’”? Lloyd asked. The man waved faux-casually.   
“Oh, just some fellas over in the city. That’s right, I’m from McAlister Inc., and I’m here to help. I’ve got a proposition for ya. How’d you feel about a proper job?” Lloyd frowned.   
“In Shaperatown? No thank you, I’d like to keep living a while longer.” The man shrugged.   
“Well, it’s hardly dying if you get better, right? Besides, you’ll basically become immortal. Seems like a pretty good tradeoff to me.” Lloyd thought about it.   
“Well, when you put it like that... I’ve heard some things about the work conditions, though. They tell me everyone’s miserable there.” The man looked like he had said something ridiculous.   
“How can you be miserable when you’re never hungry or tired? Those doll bodies don’t need anything, except the spare part every now and then. Immortality, never a care in the world, and a stable job?” He jabbed Lloyd playfully in the shoulder. “Really, you’re the one who’s cheating me.” Lloyd tried to think of what Michael and Raven had told him about Shaperatown. Was there something he was missing? Surely, if the man was telling the truth, it couldn’t be as bad as they made it out to be. Definitely not so bad as to dismiss it out of hand. He got up.   
“Thank you for the offer. I’ll go talk it over with my boyfriend, and I’ll get back to you.”   
The man looked incredulously, still with that smile on his face. After a few seconds, he laughed out loud.   
“Oh, that’s a good one. ‘I’ll get back to you’, you’re a riot!” Still chuckling a bit, he got up as well.   
“I don’t think you really get what’s goin’ on, son. Y’see, I’m a busy man, I can’t stay long. I got clients to call, orders to fill. Now, like I said, ya got potential, but if I walk into town, people will practically fling themselves at me for the opportunity to work. For you ten others, you know what I’m saying? It’s now or never.”   
“I have to choose right now?” Lloyd asked.   
“That’s the idea.” The man’s smile dropped. “Although I don’t think it’s much of a choice. Look all around you.” He waved at the barren lands. “It’s not like you’ve got anything to lose. So what’ll it be? Would you like to work? Or would you rather starve to death? The choice is yours, if you’re willing to choose.” 

Lloyd was stunned. After a brief consideration, he shook his head.   
“I can’t leave.” He said. “It wouldn’t be fair.”   
“Life ain’t fair, baby.” Floozie said. Lloyd hadn’t seen her approach, and he startled a bit.   
“Yeah,” The second one said. “You gotta do what’cha gotta do.”   
“No, I couldn’t.” Lloyd protested. “I promised Raven I wouldn’t leave.”   
“Oh,” The third one said. “Jus’ like Raven-baby promised to provide for you? How’d that turn out?”   
Lloyd didn’t have a good response to that.   
“I shouldn’t. It would break his heart.” He said, but he already sounded less argumentative.   
“So what?” All three Floozies said in unison. “Everyone must deal with heartbreak eventually. If it isn’t from you, it’ll be from someone else.”   
“Besides,” one continued, “The man is right, y’know? You’ll just go hungry if ya stay.”   
“And what good would that do?” The others added. “No use in you both starving, right?”   
Lloyd’s heart ached. He knew he shouldn’t. Ever since he met Raven, he told himself he was above such selfishness. He didn’t have to only hold his own anymore. But the gnawing in his stomach was persistent and wouldn’t be ignored. He turned toward his house one last time, almost hoping Raven had followed him and would stop him. But he was alone. He turned back to the man in the suit.   
“Alright. I’m going.” 

WAIT FOR ME 

After Lloyd disappeared, everyone held their breath for Raven. They all expected him to completely fall apart. However, at first glance, he seemed to be doing okay. He still went to rehearsals and kept writing his songs. In fact, he started working even harder, fully throwing himself into the theatre. And sure, he drank a bit more at afterparties, and his laugh had a bit more of an edge than usual, but he assured everyone he was fine. Lloyd had needed some time for himself, he said. It had been a couple weeks, but he would be back any minute. There was nothing to worry about. But Michael knew him. The cheery façade Raven threw up couldn’t fool him. He went to check on him. 

“Hey, Raven? You home?” The smell hit him as soon as he stepped through the door. The stench of stale beer, as well as stronger stuff, mixed with that of unwashed dishes and dust. Michael carefully stepped around the empty bottles and strewn-across laundry. He heard Raven call from the bedroom.   
“Go away! I’m not home.” He sounded like he had been crying. Slowly, Michael opened the door. Inside the bedroom was an even bigger mess. There wasn’t an inch of the floor that wasn’t covered by trash of some sort. Raven lay on the unmade bed, still clutching a bottle of scotch. He shielded his eyes from the faint light as Michael stepped in.   
“Hey man.” He said, softly. “How you doin’?”   
“How the fuck does it look like I’m doing? Go away.” He took another swig from the bottle. Michael walked over and tried to gently remove it from his hand.   
“A’ight, I think you had enough.”   
“Yeah, you would know.” Raven snapped.   
Michael stayed calm. “I do.” Raven opened his mouth to say something, closed it again, and groaned. He threw his arm over his face.   
“I’m sorry Michael, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that, it’s just-”   
“Don’t even worry about it man, it’s fine.” As Michael sat the bottle on the nightstand, he noticed a strong scent. His nose crinkled.   
“Hey, uh... D’ya know what might make you feel better?” He offered. “How ‘bout a nice shower to freshen up, huh?” Raven chuckled dryly, still covering his face.   
“Way to bring it up tactfully. But no.” He paused. “What’s the point?”   
“Of showers?” Michael asked.   
“You know damn well that isn’t what I meant.” Michael went silent. He sat down on the edge of the bed, not really knowing what to say.   
“C’mon,” he said gently, touching Raven on his shoulder. “Let’s get some food into you. We need to talk.” 

A slightly more presentable Raven sat across him at the kitchen table. The man looked like hell. His dreads were a tangled mess and he looked like he hadn’t slept in a week. Clutching his bowl of soup and with a blanket thrown around his shoulder, he looked completely unlike the flamboyant showman he was. “I’m sorry you had to see me like that.” He said sheepishly.   
Michael waved. “Like I said, don’t worry ‘bout it. You’d do the same for me.” Raven smiled.   
“So, what did you want to talk about?” Michael paused, taking some time to pick his words.   
“I know you’ve been pretty torn up after Lloyd left.” Raven snorted.   
“Well, what gave you that crazy idea.” Despite the jest, his voice cracked slightly with the threat of tears. He cleared his throat.   
“Yeah,” Michael said deadpan. “I dunno how I could think sucha thing.”   
“It’s just-” Raven gripped his bowl a bit tighter. “He promised he’d be back. He didn’t say when, but it’s been months! What if something happened to him? What if...” His jaw tightened with emotion. “What if he isn’t coming back?” Michael rubbed the back of his neck.   
“Well, uh, it’s about that I wanted to talk to ya, actually. I didn’t wanna tell you before, because I was ‘fraid you’d get depressed. But, well...” He gestured vaguely around.   
“I can’t get worse than this.” Raven finished.   
“Yeah, pretty much.” Michael said bluntly. “So, I got good news and bad news. The good news is: I know where Lloyd went.” Raven’s sprung up. Immediately, the spark returned to his eyes.   
“You do?! Where is he?”   
“Y’see, that’s the bad news: you’re really not going to like it.” Raven sat down his bowl and leaned over the table. “Tell me. Where is he?”   
“Well, you have to promise you’ll not do anything stupid, okay-?”   
"Michael! Where. Is. He?”   
Michael sighed. “He’s in Shaperatown. I saw him boarding the train.” Raven looked at him in shock. “...Shaperatown? Are you serious?”   
“Yeah.” he said. “There was this other guy with him. I think he got recruited. I’m sorry, Raven.”   
“What are you sorry for?” Raven asked. “This is great news!”   
Michael squinted. “...Is it?”   
“Yes! Don’t you get it?” Raven threw the blanket off his shoulders and got up. “It means he didn’t mean to leave! He must’ve gotten tricked or something. What’s more, it means I can get him back!” Michael got up as well.   
“Now, hold on a minute. How in hell are ya gonna do that?”   
“I don’t know yet, I’ll see when I get there.” Raven threw on his coat and guitar and headed for the door. Michael jumped between them.   
“Woah, where do ya think you’re goin’?”   
“Shaperatown. I have to save him, move outta my way!” Raven tried to get past him, but Michael grabbed his shoulders.   
“Just think. How do you plan to get there?”   
Raven shrugged. “I don’t know, by train?”   
“You got a ticket?”   
He paused. “No. I’ll, uh, I’ll just follow the tracks!” Michael laughed.   
“Right, yeah. You’ll never make it. It’s a long way down, and you don’t have a chance, ‘less you know the way.”   
“It’s literally one direction!” Raven protested.   
“But do you know where you can rest safely? Do you know where the dogs patrol, and where you might find a bite to eat?”   
Raven looked down, frowning. “No.” He looked back up. “But you do, right? You’re a vagrant, you must’ve walked that track a thousand times.” Michael stammered: “I- Well, yeah. But I ain’t really supposed to say...”   
“Michael, please. I have to follow Lloyd. He’s the only man I ever truly loved.” Raven stared at him with such intensity, Michael couldn’t help but relent with a sigh.   
“Okay, I’ll teach ya how to get to Shaperatown. But don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” 

And so, Michael taught Raven how to read the hobo marks, written in chalk on the trees and fences all along the track. He taught him to walk under cover of night, and where he could rest out of sight during the day. He also gave him a small radio, so they could communicate if necessary. Raven hugged him and set out. It took him most of the winter to reach his destination. He nearly got himself killed multiple times, by hunger or snow or resting in the wrong place. But he never gave up. Hope burned like fire inside him, and it kept him warm through the storm.   
Wait for me, he thought. Just be there when I get there. I’m coming.   
Finally, the wall of the city appeared on the horizon. But his journey wasn’t over yet. He had to find a way in. The gates were guarded by vicious Blood Red Dogs, and Raven didn’t have nearly enough funds to bribe them. So, he snuck around, searching for a spot he might get in. It wasn’t that hard; the wall was constantly upgraded and maintained by the workers of the city. He had to crane his neck to see them, but Raven found them working on southern part. He felt a chill. Even without faces, the dolls looked miserable. Their bodies were falling apart from use, the wood cracked and paint chipped. As they carried the heavy stones, they dragged their feet and kept their head low. 

Now, Raven was a poor boy. But he had a gift to give. He could make you see the way the world could be, in spite of the way that it is. You might say he was ‘touched’. He removed the guitar from his back and started singing. He sang about his lost love, the long road behind him, and the fire inside him. There were two ways this could go: either the dolls would be moved by the song, or he would be screwed. But he believed with all his heart and soul this would work.   
The dolls looked up and turned to him. They should have alerted the guards. They should have continued their work. But instead, they listened. Having been trapped in the city for ages, the song stirred a part of them that had nearly been extinguished.   
When Raven finished, one of them accidentally dropped a rope down the wall. At least, that what it would have said, if asked. All the others meant to pick it back up, but they forgot. They each were so occupied with their duties, they failed to notice the singer climb the wall, thank them, and enter the city. At least, that’s what they would’ve told you. 

Droves of dolls filled the city in streets, slums and homes. If they weren’t working a shift, they just stared blankly ahead. Raven mumbled an apology as he stepped around them. Then, his radio picked up a very faint signal. His heart stopped as he recognized the voice, even through the static.   
“...Flowers. I think I remember flowers.”


	2. Act 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And here's act 2! I do want to put a warning here: there is a bit in 'doubt comes in' that deals with unhealthy views on mental illness and gaslighting. With that said, I hope you enjoy!

LADY OF THE UNDERGROUND 

Lloyd stepped inside the dimly lit hole-in-the-wall speakeasy. The Mannekin had been rather difficult to locate, but it was filled with costumers. Workers lay strewn around the room like ragdolls, some hanging in chairs, others lying on the floor. Expressions were impossible to tell on the blank faces, but they seemed more dazed than usual. Some were using some strange red dust to dull the mind, others held magnets to their head. Lloyd held a strange appreciation for their inguinity, at least. 

The owner of the bar wasn’t too hard to find. Even if he hadn’t been the only alive person in the room, his red hair and alternative clothes made him a person hard to miss. He sat lounging, arm thrown around a very old looking doll.   
“Byron McAlister?” The boy looked up in suprise.   
“The one and only.”   
“My name is Lloyd Allen. Could I have a word with you?” The boy looked him up and down, a surprised smile on his face.   
“Wow,” he marveled. “you talk really well for a doll.” It took a second for Lloyd to really grasp the comment. When he did, he crossed his arms. “I’m- is that supposed to be a compliment?” Byron laughed.   
“Okay, yeah, I hear how that sounded now. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s, usually, by the time people find this place, they’re already having trouble moving and speaking and stuff. I mean, take my dearest Jasper, for example.” He gestured toward the doll next to him. “Poor thing hasn’t spoken in all the time I know him. So, congrats, you must have very strong willpower. Or a remarkable memory.” Lloyd didn’t really understand what he was saying, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Before he could ask, the boy shrugged.   
“Anyway, whatever the case, you’re here now. So, pick your poison and enjoy.” Lloyd shook his head.   
“No, I’m not looking to get high. Listen, I’m a friend of your mother’s. I need you to get me in contact with her, or with McAlister. I’ve m- There’s been a mistake.” Byron chuckled.   
“Ah, regretting your career choices, huh?”   
Lloyd shifted his weight, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t regret anything. That is a futile excercise. I had a logical reason to do what I did, and I just need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. And to do that, I need to get back. Can you talk to your parents for me?” Byron took a sip of his drink and held up a finger.   
“Okay, first of all: mighty bold of you to assume either of my parents care about what I have to say. Even if they did,” He sat down his glass. “Father tends to get a bit.... possessive. Trust me on that.”   
“So, what?” Lloyd asked. “You’re not even going to help?”   
“I am helping.” Byron countered. “I am giving these people the moon and stars back. It’s the only way they can flee Father’s world. He would kill me if he found out about this place. So if you’re not going to enjoy the wares, I’d enjoy your memories as long as they last.” Lloyd’s radio crackled with an angry tirade, but he decided it wasn’t worth it. He stormed back outside.   
  


FLOWERS 

Now, Lloyd wasn’t going to take this sitting down. So, his job was... disappointing. He might have made a bit of a mistake. And that Byron brat had been no help either. No matter. He could get out himself. He wasn’t going to be like all the others, moping around all day. What good would that do? No, Lloyd decided he was going to devise a plan. Surely all these depressing morons still had some fight in them. He just had to ignite it. Reel them in with entertainment of some sort, and then slowly introduce the idea of revolution. There were so many of them; if he riled them up, they could get out of here. Or at least some of them could. Or at the very least, they could create a distraction while Lloyd escaped. Either scenario worked for him.   
So he sat out to work at the factory. Every shift, he would steal some parts. Nothing big, a bolt here, a wire there. Nothing anyone would miss. The one good thing about being trapped in this body was that he didn’t have to sleep. He could tinker and build all night long. After many nights staying up in his dingy sleeping quarters, he finally managed to build a semi-functional radio station. All those dolls had radios attached. Surely some of them were still functioning enough to pick up his signal. He brushed some leftover bolts from his desk chair and sat down. He felt the urge to take a deep breath, but due to a lack of lungs, that wasn’t possible. He decided to just jump into it. 

“Hello, dear listeners! My name is Lloyd, and welcome to the Shaperatown Radio Hour! I’m here to lift your spirits, because boy, do they need it. Today, I’ll be telling the thrilling tale of-” 

“Welcome back, dear listeners! I tried talking to some of you the other day. Well, it’s possible I talked to one doll multiple times. I have a hard time telling you apart. Anyway, it seems at least one of you is unresponsive as ever. No matter! I can talk to you through this, and I think... No, I know that it works! So, onto part five of-” 

“Uhm, hello, dear listeners. Sorry if I sound a bit down, it’s just.... I’ve been forgetting things, and I don’t like it. I don’t know if it’s this body, or this place, or the fact the only voice I’ve heard in weeks is my own, but... I didn’t remember how I met Raven. I’ve told you about Raven, right? The only man I ever truly loved. And I forgot how we met. B-But I won’t let that get me down! I have written down everything I remember about... Uhm...” A rustling of paper can be heard. “Raven! Yes, right, that was his name. Raven. See? I can fight it. I won’t become a mindless drone like the rest of you. So, with that tangent out of the way, let us continue with part-” 

“Is anybody listening? Are any of your godforsaken bodies whole enough to pick this up? This stupid shell is getting more and more difficult to move, and it’s harder to talk. That moronic Byron said something about willpower or memory... I must get out of here, as soon as possible. I-” The voice is overlapped with static. “I don’t want to forget.” 

A rustling of paper can be heard. “Uh, let’s see. Raven! Right, of course. Like the bird. Both boyfriend and bird start with a b. Should be easy to remember. My boyfriend’s name is Raven. My boyfriend’s name is Raven. My boyfriend...uhm.” A rustling of paper can be heard. “Raven, that was it! Raven. Raven. My boyfriend’s name is... Damnit.” A rustling of paper can be heard. 

The static almost drowns out the soft voice. “I have given up trying to remember. My notes read like the story of someone else. Even still, as soon as I finish a word, I forget what it said. It’s no use.” There’s a solid minute of dead air.   
“...I’m so tired. I can drag myself to the assembly line and work, but any other movement feels like operating a marionette made of concrete. Talking is...” More silence. It lasts a lot longer this time.   
“Flowers... I think remember flowers. There was a field of them. They were purple, the favorite of... someone.” The static recedes for a moment. “I had a ‘someone’, didn’t I? Well then, ‘someone’, if you’re hearing this... I’m sorry.” The voice becomes more distorted and wavering. “I am so sorry. I never should have left you.” There seem some more attempts at talking, but they’re too heavily distorted and overlapped by interference to make out. Finally, even those attempts stop. 

COME HOME WITH ME II 

Raven burst into the room. He had run all across the city, following where the broadcast was clearest. It had led him to this room. He looked around, but he only saw another broken down doll, sitting in front of a pile of junk.   
“Where is he?” He yelled, more to himself than to the doll. Even if it knew where Lloyd was, it wouldn’t be able to tell him. He frantically opened the closet door, as though Lloyd would be hiding in there.   
“Lloyd? I came for you, where are you?”   
“Ravey?” The staticky voice made Raven gasp and spin around. He scanned the room, but still saw nothing. The doll had turned to face him. It seemed to be shaking.   
“Ravey, it’s me.” Raven’s heart dropped. “...Lloyd?” The doll nodded. Tears sprung in his eyes and his throat closed up with emotion. “Lloyd!”   
He sprinted across the room, throwing himself into his boyfriend’s arms. Weeping, he held him close, like he would disappear again if he let go. The wood bruised his arms, but he didn’t care. He tried to talk, but he couldn’t get anything past his choking sobs. Lloyd hugged him back. “It’s okay, Raven... I’m sorry. I tried so hard.” His own voice trembled as he hugged him closer. “I tried so hard. I’m so sorry.” The two men sat there, holding the other tight. Even as Raven’s tears dried up and his hiccups slowly died down, they didn’t break their embrace.   
“How did you get here?” Lloyd asked. “On the train?”   
Raven smiled. “Nah, I walked.” He felt the wood under him shift as Lloyd reeled in suprise.   
“You walked?”   
“Sorry it took so long.” Even after all that happened, Lloyd’s adorable confused stammers had stayed the same.   
“I- wha- How in the world did you get over the wall?”   
“I sang. It convinced the dolls to let me in. And I could sing us home again.” He untangled himself from Lloyd and looked to where his eyes should be on his blank wooden face.   
“Come home with me.” He said. “I won’t let them take you away from me again.”   
“Take me away?” Lloyd asked. 

  
An unfamiliar voice spoke up. “I don’t believe we’ve met, young man.” Raven turned around to see Edgar McAlister, ruler of Shaperatown, step into the room. Three Blood Red Dogs stood menacingly in the doorway.   
McAlister said coldy: “Look, I don’t know who you are, or why you would think you can just waltz in here without anyone noticing. You must be quite emptyheaded. But I advice you leave now, before things get..” He glanced back at the Dogs. “...ugly.” 

Raven stood up, standing protectively in front of Lloyd.   
“No. We’re leaving, and you can’t stop us!” McAlister laughed.   
“How very noble. I don’t suppose your boyfriend told you how he came to be in my employ?”   
“I don’t care how you tricked him!”   
“Tricked?” McAlister raised his eyebrows. “I did no such thing. He understood the terms. I offered him an opportunity, and he left of his own accord.” Raven looked back at Lloyd. He wouldn’t look him in the eyes.   
“Lloyd?” He managed to ask. “That’s not true, is it? Tell me he’s lying.” There was no repsonse.   
“...Lloyd. Tell me it’s not true.”   
Edgar laughed wryly. “Oh, take this lesson from an old man: unless you can prove your love with gold, you’ll never keep your lovers close. They get you high, they get you low, and then they leave. I learned that the hard way, and now you will, too. He belongs to me. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”   
  


CHANT II 

Now, everybody knows the walls have ears. And this is especially the case when the conversation happens in front of a radio station that nobody bothered to turn off.   
Jasper hadn’t broadcasted anything in decades. He had been one of the first dolls built, and had long found any attempt at communication to be futile. But Byron still kept his radio in perfect condition, in the hope he might one day speak to him. And so, he had been able to receive the Shaperatown Radio Hour. At first, it had just been another channel, a small part of his mindless backgrond noise.   
But when he heard the confrontation between Raven, Lloyd and Edgar, the numbness inside subsided a little. He had been a dolly, a worker, an accessory for so long, he had ceased to think of himself as a person. But Raven loved Lloyd. Despite everything, they still had hope, however faint, that they could escape this hell. Jasper found himself repeating Raven’s question in his mind: is it true?   
At his first attempt, Jasper only broadcasted feedback and static, his radio unaccustomed to use. Still, his grandson’s eyes lit up with disbelieve.   
“Jasper? Was that you?”   
Jasper took the words he heard from the broadcast, and tried to communicate. His new song rang through the Mannekin, getting clearer with each word.   
“Is it true?” He asked.   
“Are we mindless drones, forgetting ourself? Is there nothing we can do? I believe: no! We keep our head low in his employ, but I believe he’s lying. I believe we can look up! If they can do it, so can we. I know we have the willpower, and we can tell him what we think!”   
One by one, the dolls around him echoed his refrain. First, the speakeasy, then the street, then the neighbourhood, and soon the enitre city was chanting along. One by one, the dolls found the will to move, and with Byron cheerfully leading in front, they formed a march. Even Fay joined in, and together they stood outiside Lloyd’s room.   


Back inside, all three men heard the commotion outside. Edgar walked over to the window to see the droves of dolls marching in the streets. His wife and son were there, too. Ungrateful, the lot of them. He sneered.   
“Well, young man,” he said. “Seems like you made quite a strong impression. Now, here’s the deal:” He lit up a cigar. “In about three minutes, I’ll have you tried for trespassing and attempting to steal my property. I’ll even be genererous and let you pay off your fines in my employ. However, I’ve been told you have quite a way with words.” He smiled. “So take a stab. Make me laugh. Make me weep. Make me feel young again.” This was an impossible task, he knew. The only song that made him feel anything these days, was the music of machinery and the singing of coins. He laughed as the young man cautiously took the guitar from his back. “Sing!” He said. “Sing for an old man.” 

EPIC III 

Raven swallowed., nervously. But he was a performer. He could do this. He took a deep breath and grounded himself. As soon as he strung the first chord, he felt the song resonate in his bones. He smiled, and sang. 

When the song started, the room seemed to disappear around Edgar. The walls fell away as the boy described the time when he himself had been a young man. He sang of the wonderful nervousness twisting in his stomach as he asked the beautiful young Fay to see a band play with him. She was so vibrant, and Edgar smiled at the memory of when she said yes.   
They really had been in love. After all those years of fighting and bitterness, he had almost forgotten that. The giddyness and tenderness overwhelmed after such a long absence. The boy started the wordless chorus of the love song, and all the dolls outside sang along. He even saw Fay mouth the words, though she stopped when she caught him looking. He stood, facing the window, the boy continuing to sing behind him.   
The subject of the song turned to the present time. It described all the work, all the bitterness, and Edgar felt weary. His heart was heavy from all he hated and feared to lose, and the gently sung words stung like daggers. When you win, you sometimes lose, the boy sang, and all you love does not love you. At that, the pressure that had been building behind his eyes finally became too much, and Edgar McAlister wept. 

PROMISES 

“You did it! You madman, you actually did it!” Lloyd swept up his boyfriend in a hug and they spun around the room laughing.   
“We’re going home!” They slowed and stopped their turning.   
“So,” Lloyd said. “You cannot look back the entire way?”   
“No.” Raven explained. “I can only look back when we both have reached the station.” Lloyd thought for a second. “Well, can we hold hands? Maybe a call-and-response thing? We can make this work, we-” Raven interrupted. “No, McAlister said I can’t know you’re there. It has to be done on trust alone.” Lloyd was quiet for a moment.   
“Do you? Trust me, that is?” Raven opened his mouth, reconsidered his answer, and closed it again.   
“You promised you’d come back.” He said. Lloyd took Raven hands in his own.   
“I know. And I am so, so sorry. But you promised you could provide.” They stood there, each considering the mistakes of the past. “Look,” Lloyd said. “I know I’m not always the most... empathetic. And I can’t promise I ever will be. But Ravey, I’m making a new promise to you. I swear, I will never, ever be disloyal to you. And I don’t mean that in the boring way most people do. Monogamy isn’t our thing.”   
“It really isn’t.” Raven agreed.   
“What we have, is so much more than that. I promise I will be loyal to you in every way that matters. And if we-” Lloyd caught himself. “When we hit a rough spot, we’ll figure it out. Together.” Raven smiled. “I have a new promise to make, too. I can’t promise we’ll have it easy. My songs aren’t going to make us rich, so I can’t promise you gold and silver.”   
“I would never ask that of you.” Lloyd said. “I just want you to be there for me.”   
“I will. I swear. I won’t lose myself in my work again, and I will shelter you.” The two men embraced. Lloyd trembled. “God, I wish I could kiss you.” Raven looked up and pecked him on the cheek.   
“Don’t worry, love. We’ll figure something out.” He cupped his boyfriend’s face with his hand, and studied his face. It was the last time he would see it for a long time.   
“Are you ready?”   
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You set the pace. I’ll follow.” Raven drank in the sight of his boyfriend, took a deep breath, and turned around. 

DOUBT COMES IN 

Raven blew in his chilly hands to warm them up. His legs ached and his back burned from carrying his guitar, but he had a smile on his face. He’d done it. He had walked in there and gotten Lloyd out. And now, they were going home.   
The Floozies were walking alongside him.   
“Do you really think he’s behind you?” They asked.   
“Of course he is.” Raven responded. “Can’t you see him?” The three Floozies turned back, to where Raven couldn’t see, and just shrugged with a smile. Raven itched to turn back as well, but he suppressed the urge. “Don’t be a tease. I know he’s behind me, he said he’d follow.”   
“Oh, “one said, “jus’ like he promised not to leave? How’d that turn out?”   
Raven stopped in his tracks, but shook his head and continued.   
“No, this is different. We’re different, now. No more broken promises.” The Floozies laughed in unison. They all had the exact same rhythm and pitch, and Raven felt a shiver up his spine.   
“Aw, Raven-baby is delusional. Again.” They said. “Did he really promise to stay? Or did ya just think he did? You shouldn’t trust everything your brain tells ya, Raven-baby. It doesn’t have a great track record.” Raven’s hands started shaking. He grabbed the strap of his guitar across his chest and tried to argue back.   
“It isn’t like that! I’m sane!” this time, his mind finished. He continued: “I-I haven’t had a major break in ages. There's no reason I would have one now.”   
“Hm. Funny.” One of the Floozies said. “Ain’t that exactly what you thought last time?”   
“You knew.” The second one said. “You knew all along you’d fall back eventually. It was inevitable.”   
“No...” Raven protested. “It’s- I’m...” He tried to find the words to argue back, but he was too distraught. The Floozies looked at him with what seemed like pity.   
“Poor, mad Raven-baby. Or was it David? Who are you again?”   
“Shut up!” Raven shouted. His breathing quickened. “Don’t call me that!”   
“You don’t even know who you are.” Their words cut into him, making him loose his footing and stumble. “Jus’ how many mental breakdowns do you expect him to put up with? You don’t deserve him. Why would he stay with a madman? He finally had enough of your crazy, and now he’s gone.”   
Through his tears, Raven could see the train station. He quickened his pace. Just a bit more. He had to ignore the doubt gnawing away at him a bit longer, and then he could check.   
The Floozies hounded him, their overlapping taunts matching what he heard in his head:   
“You don’t deserve him-” “Just a madman-” “Who are you?” “Mr Adams-” “Not worth the effort-”   
“-just keep reinventing yourself-” “Who are you?”   
As Raven approached the station, the doubt became near certainty. Lloyd wasn’t there. Why would he be? He would turn around and be completely alone, yet again. Why delay it? As he started turning his head, he heard a call:   
“Ravey, wait-!” 

ROAD TO HELL II / RAISE MY CUP 

The stranger stared at Michael. That can’t be it, surely? What happened, did they make it? Michael’s eyes were teary.   
“I told ya: it’s a sad tale. An old one, as well. You knew from the start how it would end, if you’re honest. They changed the story, sure. As it’s been changed a thousand times before. But a tragedy’s a tragedy, ain’t no changing that.” He chuckled, but it came out more like a sob.   
“In a way, I feel like Lloyd would’ve appreciated that.” He looked up, trying to keep the tears from falling out. “Ah, dangit, I told myself I wouldn’t cry this time...” He leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. He sat like that for a while.   
“I wonder how much longer I can take.” He mumbled to no one in paticular. “Telling these stories. So much goddamn pain...” He took a shaky breath. “Alright. Alright...” He rubbed his face and sat back up, trying to compose himself.   
“But even still, we keep telling ‘em anyway. ‘Cuz, here’s the thing: to know how it ends, and still to begin to tell it again. As though it might turn out this time.” He smiled sadly. “I learned that from a friend of mine.” 

The stranger heard the distant call of the train. “Well, what’d I tell ya? Right on time.” He got up from the bench. “I think that’s my cue. It was nice talking to you, stranger. I hope you enjoyed my tale.” As the thick smoke of the train filled the station, it became harder and harder to see Michael. He waved goodbye.   
“Good night, brother. Goodnight.” 


End file.
